Being an entrepreneur in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not an easy task. Despite the establishment of a conducive business environment, entrepreneurs have always reported obstacles hindering their development. It is in this perspective that the President of the Republic, Felix Tshisekedi, welcomed the holding of the first survey of the National Barometer on the Business Climate in the DRC (BNCA).
Through this survey, economic operators drew up a list of obstacles they encounter in their daily lives: the quality of relations between the public administration and entrepreneurs, corruption, security problems, infrastructure, legal security and judiciary, the tax system and incidental taxation, and access to financing for businesses.
The DRC obtained a satisfaction score of 37% in the field of business, according to the conclusions of this survey conducted from January 24 to March 27, 2023 among 403 companies in 13 different sectors.
The report resulting from this survey is a valuable tool for the country’s leaders, allowing them to become aware of the needs of economic operators and, more generally, of the economic environment of the DRC. President Tshisekedi has called on the government to accelerate the implementation of the DRC’s Business Climate Emergency Plan in order to achieve the reforms needed to improve the country’s overall score by the end of the year.
The recommendations made by the BNCA are also a roadmap for a series of reforms to be carried out by the government. These reforms aim to improve taxation, incidental taxation, legal and judicial security, the political environment, the management of public contracts, the quality of administration and infrastructure.
Thus, public officials of the State, whether political or administrative and whatever their level, must be aware of their role as a factor in the economic and business environment. They must implement the values and principles of public service and administration for a favorable environment for foreign partners and local entrepreneurs.
In short, if the DRC wants to become an environment conducive to business, the reforms recommended by the BNCA must be put in place. Only in this way can the wealth necessary for the economic development of the country be created.